Eight ball?
by mustlovecat
Summary: Yet another one shot. Don figures out the happy couple's secret. DL and LindsayFlack friendship.


**A/N ** Okay, I _love _DL. But ever since the beginning of Season 3 and then with Daze of Wine and Roaches, I have loved the Lindsay/Flack friendship so I decided I wanted to write some of that. No worries though – DL will always be the endgame! The timing of this is shortly after my fic Five Minutes.

**Disclaimer ** You know the drill. I own nothing.

Flack hesitated in the doorway of the break room for a moment. It was empty, save for one Lindsay Monroe Messer. She was sitting on the couch in the corner, leaning forward, her head in her hands. He could see from the rise and fall of her shoulders that she was concentrating on taking deep breaths. He furrowed his brow.

"Hey, Monroe. You okay?" He walked inside, catching her weak smile as she glanced up and met his concerned expression.

"Sure. Fine. Just great."

"Liar." He studied her for a moment. "How far along are you?"

Her eyes widened at his question. "How did you –"

"I've got eight nieces and nephews, Linds. I've seen the signs. Two days ago, you escaped behind a tree when we were working that DB in Central Park. You're tired all the time. And you haven't rolled your eyes at any of my jokes in days, which frankly hurts. I mean, it cuts me deep, but I'm dealing …"

She laughed softly.

He pulled one of the steel chairs around so he was in front of her. "So?"

"Seven weeks. Please don't say anything. Mac really should be the first to know and we're just not ready to do that yet."

"Sure, whatever you want. The important thing is that you're okay."

"I'd be better if this whole morning sickness thing actually happened in the morning."

"Can I get you something? My sister Ellie always found saltines helped. Or herbal tea. I could run down to the corner –"

"Thanks, but I'm okay, really. It's passing. And Mac's got me doing paperwork for the rest of the day so I don't have to worry about any scenes grossing me out."

He sat back in his chair, shaking his head, his expression slightly incredulous. "So, Dan's gonna be a dad. That's just wrong on so many levels," he kidded.

"Hey, he's going to be a great father."

"I just hope this kid looks like you. There's enough cruelty in the world."

She rolled her eyes and he felt a hint of satisfaction. There was the Lindsay he knew and loved!

"I gotta say, Linds, I envy Messer. He's got it all. Beautiful, brilliant wife, a kid on the way … If I were him I'd be on my knees every night thankin' the big guy upstairs."

She felt slightly embarrassed by his praise. "You're really sweet, you know that? But you could have all of this, too."

"I don't think Dan would really appreciate that. Besides, polygamy is frowned upon the state of New York."

She laughed out loud at that and forgot her queasy stomach for the moment.

Mission accomplished. "Seriously, I think Messer took the last good one off the market when he married you."

She shook her head. "Well, sometimes I wonder if he doesn't envy _you_."

"You kidding me? Maybe the guy you met three years ago, but not the man you married. He's completely head over heels for you, completely committed. I never thought I'd see the day when Danny Messer was the family man of the Crime Lab, but that's him now. He's gotta be over the moon about this."

She smiled. "He _is _pretty excited."

"And what about you?"

"I am, too. But he's not the one with the morning sickness and who's going to have to taper the field hours and watch what he works with in the lab … " She sighed. "Oh, God, I sound so ungrateful. And I'm not. I _am_ happy about this. Don't get me wrong. I just know everything's going to change."

"Sure it is. You're gonna have a kid. But damn, Linds, I remember when I got caught in that bomb blast. We hardly knew each other, but you still came to visit me almost every day in the hospital. When Aiden died, you didn't even know her and you were still there for all of us who did. You're the most compassionate person I know. That's just one of the things that's going to make you an amazing mom."

"Thanks, Don."

He glanced at his watch. "Listen, I gotta meet with Mac. But you or Dan need anything, give me a call, huh?"

"Sure."

He stood and replaced the chair he had moved. He walked over to her then and leaned down, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Take it easy, doll."

"Hey, quit hittin' on my wife," Danny joked as he walked into the room.

"What can I say? I've got good taste," Don shot back with a wink. He went to head out, but stopped as he and Danny passed each other. "Congrats, man."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "You told him?" he asked Lindsay a little incredulously.

"I figured it out," Flack explained. "I'm a brilliant detective, remember? Catch you guys later."

Danny just shook his head with a laugh as he walked over and joined his wife on the couch.

"Sorry," she apologized. "He really did figure it out for himself. Something about nieces and nephews and me puking behind a tree."

"It's fine."

She bit her lip, noticing the gift bag he had carried in for the first time. "What's that?"

He held it up, tantalizing her. "Oh, this?"

"Yeah, that. Is it is a present?"

He couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face. She looked like a five year old on Christmas morning. "Perhaps."

"Give it to me."

"Patience is certainly not one of your virtues, Montana."

"Danny, I'm pregnant and hormonal. I suggest you don't piss me off."

"Point taken. Here. Stel and I were at this scene this morning, and there was this little jewellery store across the street. Of course, she had to window shop on our way out. But then I saw this and I knew I had to get it for you."

With anticipation, she reached into the bag and pulled out a long, blue velvet jewellery box. Excitedly, she opened it up. "Oh, Danny, it's beautiful!" She pulled a beautiful white gold charm bracelet from the box. There were three charms on it: a tiger, an eight-ball, and a teddy bear.

He set the bag and the box aside and helped clasp it around her wrist. He then placed a gentle, open-mouthed kiss on her palm.

He smirked when she raised her eyebrows while fingering the eight-ball charm.

"It's perfect, Danny," she whispered, her finger tracing over the teddy bear.

He placed a hand on her abdomen, still showing no signs of the child growing inside of her. "You know that you've made me the happiest man alive, right? And I don't usually do happy."

"But you wear it well, Messer." She leaned over and kissed him gently. She sighed then. "I've got a mountain of paper work on my desk waiting for me."

"Yeah, and I gotta meet Stella down in autopsy." He kissed her forehead, then stood. "I'm home first, so if you crave anything in particular for dinner, let me know."

"Careful. I could get used to all this." She winked at him, then watched him take off before she stood up slowly, willing the nausea to remain at bay. She put her right hand on her stomach, her left fingering the bracelet Danny had just placed around her wrist.

"Linds, DB in down at the fish market. Mac needs us both," said Sheldon, appearing in the doorway with Flack at his heels.

Dead body. Fish. She sighed and nodded.

Hawkes continued on his way to get his kit. Flack remained in the doorway, looking at his friend sympathetically. "I tried," he said. "But Dan and Stel are already in the middle of something."

"It's okay. But your Armani and wing-tips just might want to stay clear," she joked as she reached the door.

He put his arm around her and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "It's okay, doll. I know where to send the dry cleaning bill. C'mon."

She chuckled. She held up her wrist then. "See what Dan gave me?"

Don gave the trinket an appreciate once-over. "Nice. I get the tiger – the zoo, right? Your first day? Damn cat. And the bear's for the kid? What's with the eight-ball?"

"I'm going to get my kit," she said, evading his question.

As her heels clicked down the hallway, he furrowed his brow. He called after her, "No, really, Linds, I don't get it."

She flashed a grin over her shoulder. "And you never will, Flack. You definitely never will."


End file.
